Bud Selig grapples with rules changes

July 16, 2008|By Phil Rogers, Tribune reporter

NEW YORK — Major League Baseball continues to move toward a limited use of instant replay and the elimination of maple bats but apparently does not see the need to consider additional netting to protect fans from foul balls and broken bats.

Commissioner Bud Selig was asked Tuesday about safety concerns for fans in light of an incident Thursday at Wrigley Field. Dominic DiAngi, 7, of Frankfort, suffered a fractured skull and swelling around the brain after being hit with a ball Cubs pitcher Ted Lilly lined into the stands.

"Honestly, that's a problem the game has had for 130 years," Selig said. "It's a problem I used to worry about every night when I owned the [Milwaukee] Brewers. ... But you don't want to do something that obscures the view of the fans, which causes a major problem. It's a problem, and it always has been a problem. ... I'm not sure if there is a logical solution."

Selig might have had a different answer if DiAngi had been hit with a broken bat, not a batted ball. He and officials of the players union are awaiting the results of a study on the safety of maple bats, which many have pointed to for the alarming number of broken bats that have been flying toward players, umpires and fans this season.

Selig is strongly considering eliminating the bats, but it is a sensitive issue with players. Many prefer maple to ash and other woods and don't want to be forced into making a change.

"The maple bats safety issue is very real," Selig said. "I'm very concerned. I sit home, watch 15 games a night, and I've never seen it like this. ... You have to find the root cause. ... Putting up [nets] is not a solution. The people most vulnerable are the ones on the field and in the dugout. That's the problem we should address -- what's causing it and what can we do about it."

Historically an opponent of instant replay, Selig has softened his feelings in recent years and seems poised to approve a use of replay on contested home-run calls. A system could be in place by Aug. 1, allowing a trial run before it would be used in the playoffs and World Series.

"We're hard at work," Selig said. "We are looking at it intensely. Obviously, if it occurs at all it will be on a very limited basis. But once we are convinced the bugs are all out of [the proposed system] it will come quickly. Will it be before the postseason? Yes, there's a chance."